Cloth and Culture Now, Whitworth Art Gallery

Cloth and Culture Now at the Whitworth Art Gallery has finished now but it brought work by contemporary textile designers from around the world.  There was work particularly from Eastern European countries that you don't usually see such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as works from the UK, Finland and Japan. They were really interesting works that were original and yet also had a certain charm.

Cloth and Culture Now can be found at this link with really beautiful images of the designers' work and lengthy statements by the makers about their education and inspiration.

I think this is the most interesting and eclectic exhibition I visited all year.  

Erica Wakerly - Urology Ward at Guys

Erica Wakerly in collaboration with Greenhill Jenner Architects designed a modern mural that is a 40 metre digitally printed formica wall for the Urology Ward at Guys.  Erica Wakerly is an exciting textile designer that mostly designs in geometrics and black and white.  However, for this collaboration for the Urology ward at Guys the design is pale greens and blues to create a soothing and tranquil hospital environment.

This mural was commended in the 2008 Health Business Awards.

Putting on the Glitz, Whitworth Art Gallery

Putting on the Glitz at Whitworth Art Gallery, curated by Christine Woods is the current wallpaper exhibition on display until October 2009.  I went along to Christine Wood's talk about this exhibition and the wallpapers on display.  This exhibition charts early seventeenth and eighteenth century "gilt" leather panels to present day wallpapers such as "Dominoes" by Tracy Kendall which was specially commissioned for this show.

The history of the early leather panels was to demonstrate the wealth of the residents and their luxurious standard of living.  Only in Europe's wealthiest homes could afford them and the embossed and decorated calf leather panels were intricately made using a silver foil and then varnished so that they would look like gold.  In the seventeenth century you could also have flocked canvas too which although very fragile was cheaper than cut velvet textiles.

You take these things for granted now but you couldn't buy paper backed foils until the late 1960s when they were developed in the US.  You also forget that feature walls that we regard as a recent thing have been around for along time too.

Out and about in London

New things seen out and about in London from Frank Gehry's pavilion at the Serpentine, to the scultpure on the spare plinth in Trafalgar Square, digitally printed deck chairs in Hyde Park to decorative shoes spotted at London fashion week.

Paint combats Superbug

A new form of super paint could be able to combat superbugs.  This innovative paint contains titanium dioxide nanoparticles could eradicate superbugs in hospitals.  Biochemists and researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University are still researching but they are hopeful of finding a solution soon.

Runa Islam, Whitecube, Hoxton

Runa Islam at the Whitecube is showing film and video surrounded by installations by Tobias Putrih.

Norma Starszakowna, Whitworth Art Gallery

Norma Starszakowna has a hanging, Shadow of the Wall, Gaza now on display at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.  It was bought by the Whitworth with by the Art Fund.  It's a combination of experimental print and dye techniques.